Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-03-26
BIRDS IN INDIA.
Suprrstitions OF the Hindoos Concerning
Them.-T.ic Baieiul Sat and the
Cunning Crane.

Hindoos. The white owl is always
| suppose 10 bring good luck; hence j.
| is held sacred to the goddess of pros
perity, and the people are pleased when
it builds its nest in their houses. In
the country these birds often establish
their quarters in the darkest hooks and
| corners of old houses, breeding there
generally twice n year. and producing
five or six young ones at a time. and
all their ~scrceching and shrieking Is en-
durcd for lucn's sake. 1t is considered
Il white owl in daytime. The row
bears the same evil reputation in India
~ in other countries. it's cry thrice re-
pcated being thought Il sure token of
death. But in some parts, a crow or
raven cawing only once on the left of Il
| young woman is held as n sign that her
lover is coming to meet her. The
name Of the bat is never mentioned at
night by the common people, the belle:
being that the uttercr would soon lose
all his property. In the villages it is
believed that if pregnant woman sit
ting on n houSc-roof sees Il bat flying
over her head, she will never be dcliy-
eyed of her child until the same bird
passes over her again.
A curious legend about the chdk,co or
Brahmin duck is found all over India.
For some indiscrction two lovers wore
turned into Brahmin ducks and con
dcmned to pass the night apart from
each other on opposite banks OF a river.
All night long each asks in lis urn ii
it shall join its mate. And the answer
* always no. ''Chakwa, shall Gomez"
mo, chakwi." Chakwi. shall I Gomez"
mo, chakwa.' The chakOr, or Indian
red-leggcd partridge, which is found
all over the Himalayas (the hen lays
from ten TO fifteen eggs is said to be
onamorcd Of the moon-po~Sibly from
the fact Of it's seeming to hover about
the moor The appearance OF the cha
TAX, n small bird. is held to presagc u
good shower ri rain, the bird living
only OF rain drops and always crying
for them.
The peacock is said to scream and
dance with JOY at the sound of thunder,
and he dances, dances on; when he
looks down he wceps anon ca. the
sight of his ugly feet, they say). The
peacock IS accredited with strong THEY
ish propansitics. as appears from this
saying; "lhe deer, the monkey. the
partridge me the peacock rob the field
OF It's store. Anything that bctrays
itself is likcnod 10 "a peacock in the
! tbipf'S house IA soyiur fnuo1nI nn
The story OF "A peacock which swallowed
Il gnld necklare brought nome by q
thief. lhe bird II s..cred to the Hin
GOO goa OF beauty, Wihch y represent,
ct rs riding on u.
The Kite thc hawk. md thr yulturr
arn All rcoar,lrd -. very unlucL,, h;rd.
The ,~crcerhinr Of the first brinos scr.
ions MISFORTUNE the sivbt ~ tbn second
famine and ounrpss;nu ami thn an.
proach Of the tbira. death. BY yhirl.
J inr = Kite around fine b,od of Muslin
child IN a Tuesday or S,turda, and
then LETTING if go GREAT blos.iprs orp
insured 70 the little me. Fowlcrs trade
ON this supcrstjtion. Kites sometimes
carry of qoId ornaments. and Noh,m-
mcdan women a the reason !. because
the young kites viii not open their eyes
until some gold is placed in The nest.
hence the saving. THE phiIosophor's
| stone is in the kites nest" The halt
mythical Cnruda. a kind Of carlo. soma.
times called .adjutant." i tha mortal
enemy of snakes. The lercpd rops
that the mother Of 0arudo n,,rrelcd
with her sister. who wa tbe mother ot
| the snakes. respecting the color Of the
borsc that was produced at the churn.
inc of the ocean: and since that time
there has been constant cnmitv between
their descendants. On the occasion of
garuda's marriage, the Serpent'. alarm
ell al the thou@ht OF ms having chill
dren who might destroy them, made 4
fierce attack on him; but he slew them
all. Il V one, which he has since worn
a. IN ornament round his neck. To
this day supcrstitious llindoos repeat
the name OF garuda three times when
walking in She fields, and before going
to sleep at night, ~ a safeguard against
snakes.
The crane Is considered to Ice the
most cunning OF all birds. II stations
itself quietly by II pool, apparently alb
sorbed in meditation till it sees n iish
tp dart unnu Go tbn wn,.,J ..n,,p,''